Adjournment,A Motion was made, and the Question being proposed, That this House do now adjourn(Mr Keith Hill);

And it being Two o'clock, the Motion for the adjournment of the House lapsed, without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.

2

Water Industry Bill,Mr Secretary Prescott, supported by the Prime Minister, Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Secretary Dewar, Mr Secretary Dobson, Mr Secretary Darling, Mr Secretary Michael, Mr Michael Meacher and Mr Alan Meale, presented a Bill to make further provision in relation to England and Wales as to charges in respect of the supply of water and the provision of sewerage services and to make provision in relation to Scotland for the establishment and functions of a Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-morrow and to be printed [Bill 1].

Ordered, That the Explanatory Notes relating to the Water Industry Bill be printed [Bill 1EN].

3

Queen's Speech (Motion for an Address),The Order of the day being read, for resuming the adjourned Debate on the Question proposed yesterday, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, as follows:

Most Gracious Sovereign,

We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Majesty for the Gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament;

And the Question being again proposed:The House resumed the adjourned Debate.

Ordered, That the Debate be now adjourned.(Mr Greg Pope.)

Debate to be resumed to-morrow.

4

Adjournment,A Motion was made, and the Question being proposed, That this House do now adjourn.(Mr Greg Pope);

And it being Ten o'clock, the Motion for the adjournment of the House lapsed, without Question put.

5

Adjournment,Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.(Mr Greg Pope.)

And accordingly the House, having continued to sit till twenty four minutes past Ten o'clock, adjourned till to-morrow.

[Adjourned at 10.24 p.m.

Betty BoothroydSpeaker

Madam Speaker will take the Chair at half-past Two o'clock.

APPENDIX I

Papers presented or laid upon the Table:

Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution:

1

Town and Country Planning (Scotland),(1) Town and Country Planning (Compensation for Restrictions on Mineral Working and Mineral Waste Depositing) (Scotland) Regulations 1998 (S.I., 1998, No. 2914), and

Consumer Protection,Report by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on Consumer Safety for the period 1st April 1993 to 31st March 1998 [by Act]; to be printed [No. 9] [Mr Secretary Mandelson].

13

Foreign Affairs,Government Responses to the following Reports from the Foreign Affairs Committee, Session 1997-98:

Health Service Commissioner,First Report of the Health Service Ombudsman, Session 1998-99: Investigations CompletedApril to September 1998 [by Act]; to be printed [No. 3] [Clerk of the House].

15

Museums and Galleries,Accounts of the National Museum of Wales for 1997-98, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Act], to be printed [No. 19] [Clerk of the House].

16

National Heritage,Report and Accounts of English Heritage for 1997-98 [by Act] [Mr Secretary Smith].

17

Parliamentary Commissioner,First Report of the Parliamentary Ombudsman, Session 1998-99: Selected CasesMay to September 1998 [by Act]; to be printed [No. 4] [Clerk of the House].

18

Police (Northern Ireland),Statement of Accounts of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints for Northern Ireland for 1997-98, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Statutory Instrument]; to be printed [No. 18] [Clerk of the House].

19

Treaty Series (No. 52, 1998),1996 Amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, Resolution MSC.57 (67), adopted in accordance with Article VIII of the Convention, done at London on 5th December 1996 [by Command] [Cm. 4158] [Mr Secretary Cook].

20

Treaty Series (No. 53, 1998),1996 Amendments to the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquified Gases in Bulk (IGC Code), Resolution MSC.59 (67), adopted in accordance with Article VIII of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, done at London on 5th December 1996 [by Command] [Cm. 4159] [Mr Secretary Cook].

21

Treaty Series (No. 57, 1998),Exchange of Notes, done at Yerevan on 29th and 30th August 1996, between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Armenia terminating the Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics concerning the Mutual Abolition of Consular Fees on Visas, signed at Moscow on 13th April 1964 [by Command] [Cm. 4165] [Mr Secretary Cook].

APPENDIX II

Standing Committees

1

Draft Broadcasting (Restrictions on the Holding of Licences) (Amendment) Order 1998:

(1) The Speaker has allocated the draft Order to the First Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation, and has appointed Mr Peter Atkinson Chairman; and

Education and Employment,Minutes of Evidence taken before the Education Sub-Committee of the Education and Employment Committee [Highly able children]; to be printed [No. 22-i] [Mr Malcolm Wicks].

3

Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs,(1) First Report from the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee [Railway Safety] together with Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Transport Sub-Committee in the last Session of Parliament; to be printed, with the Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee relating to the Report [No. 30];

(2) Minutes of Evidence taken before the Transport Sub-Committee of the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee [Maritime and Coastguard Agency]; to be printed [No. 31-i]

[Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody]; and

(3) Minutes of Evidence taken before the Environment Sub-Committee of the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee [New Countryside Agency]; to be printed [No. 6-i] [Mr Andrew F. Bennett].

4

European Scrutiny,First Report from the European Scrutiny Committee together with Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee on 25th November [Agenda 2000 and Institutional Reform of the EU]; to be printed, with the Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee [No. 34-i] [Mr Jimmy Hood].

Public Accounts,Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee of Public Accounts [HM Customs & ExciseThe Prevention of Drug Smuggling]; to be printed [No. 35-i] [Mr David Davis].

7

Science and Technology,Minutes of Evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee [Engineering and Physical Sciences Based Innovation]; to be printed [No. 17-i] [Dr Michael Clark].

8

Scottish Affairs,Minutes of Evidence taken before the Scottish Affairs Committee [The Work of the Scottish Office]; to be printed [No. 20] [Mr David Marshall].

9

Social Security,(1) First Report from the Social Securitry Committee [Tax and Benefits: Implementation of Tax Credits], together with Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee in the last Session of Parliament; to be printed, with the Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee relating to the Report [No. 29]; and